Internet Service Providers AIIEEEE!

[AlwaysHungry]

I am trying to get away from AT&T, since they are determined to raise their rates above what I can tolerate. Unfortunately, it seems that the only other option in my neighborhood is Charter, about which I have heard ghastly horror stories of unreliable access, way-slower-than-advertised speeds and hostile, incompetent customer service. There are so many companies that are in the business -- why, in a major urban area, do I have only two to choose from? I should mention that I am a musician and I use video over the web to promote my bands, so I need broadband, speeds in the neighborhood of 20 Mbps. Otherwise I would go with Netzero or free dial-up or something like that.

Is it now accepted practice to charge upwards of $60/mo. for broadband? Is there some kind of monopolistic, behind-the-scenes agreement among ISPs to limit competition?

 

[sr71plt]

I just noticed today (I don't normally deal with the financials) that I'm now paying more in phone-TV-Internet bundled services a month than I paid in rent for my first apartment. I imagine I'll continue doing so to stay connected (and not having a mortgage helps), but I don't even have any fancy services or expanded TV channel bundles.

 

[Ewobbit]

Don't ask me. I'm still trying to figure out what the hell happened to my unlimited internet. Every time I bring it up, the yahoos on the phone explain, in broken English with funky sounding Rs, that Obama did something I don't understand that made it impossible for them to offer unlimited internet any longer.

"Something something FCC regulation blah blah blah, so that is why we had to charge you four hundred dollars for exceeding the bandwidth allotted to the package you purchased."

 

[Zeb_Carter]

AT&T is advertising broadband speeds at $30 a month on cable tv channels.

I don't know why your paying $60.

I use AT&T business Uverse $80 month for 100 mbs guaranteed. I've been paying that for two years with no increases.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Don't ask me. I'm still trying to figure out what the hell happened to my unlimited internet. Every time I bring it up, the yahoos on the phone explain, in broken English with funky sounding Rs, that Obama did something I don't understand that made it impossible for them to offer unlimited internet any longer.

"Something something FCC regulation blah blah blah, so that is why we had to charge you four hundred dollars for exceeding the bandwidth allotted to the package you purchased."

Sounds bogus to me. And is this on your phone...? Might be time to threaten with a lawyer.

 

[TxRad]

I've been paying for $55 a month for DSL (258Mb Up/110Mb) down for over ten years now. I live 10 miles from a 2 horse town with a small privately owned phone company. Just lucky, I guess.

 

[Handley_Page]

The more I see of this, the more I am grateful for my own supplies.

 

[Learin]

Are you gentlemen talking in megabits or megabytes?

 

[AlwaysHungry]

Are you gentlemen talking in megabits or megabytes?

Isn't megabits the standard usage for the Mbps acronym? http://www.speedtest.net, a useful site, measures megabits; I am getting 24/sec from ATT. Since I am happy with that speed, I am loathe to go to another service where I might get less, no matter how annoyed I get with ATT.

 

[JagFarlane]

Don't move to a rural area then...

$70/mo for 6Mbps DSL through CenturyLink. Only option available. Comcast ran through the area to get to the local town which means their cable ends a mile from my house. Screwed the rest of us good because CenturyLink had plans to upgrade before Comcast came through and scrapped them afterwards.

Only hope is that this is one of the areas that CenturyLink plans to upgrade with the money they got from the FCC. Not sure though as that Comcast line tilted a number of people into actual broadband and skewed the region. We'll see in the next 5-6 years.

 

[Learin]

Isn't megabits the standard usage for the Mbps acronym? http://www.speedtest.net, a useful site, measures megabits; I am getting 24/sec from ATT. Since I am happy with that speed, I am loathe to go to another service where I might get less, no matter how annoyed I get with ATT.

I get a downloading speed in mbytes when I download an app from the Play Store. Same for the images I download from Google Chrome. Maybe it's an Android thingy. I don't know.

My broadband service is provided and paid for by the office and I don't know it's specifications or its speed since I usually don't "download" or "upload" humongous things. I never noticed.

So, yeah. It feels as if I'm coming out of a cave.

 

[RKB_Kirin]

Is it now accepted practice to charge upwards of $60/mo. for broadband? Is there some kind of monopolistic, behind-the-scenes agreement among ISPs to limit competition?

Straight from Comcast's CEO - part of John Oliver's now classic Net Neutrality segment.
https://youtu.be/fpbOEoRrHyU?t=442

 

[AlwaysHungry]

Straight from Comcast's CEO - part of John Oliver's now classic Net Neutrality segment.
https://youtu.be/fpbOEoRrHyU?t=442

Yes, that was helpful.

 

[HandsInTheDark]

Straight from Comcast's CEO - part of John Oliver's now classic Net Neutrality segment.
https://youtu.be/fpbOEoRrHyU?t=442

That was wonderful.

 

[AlwaysHungry]

I decided to stay with AT&T at a higher rate, going on the "better the devil you know than the devil you don't" principle. But then came the part that I dread, and the part that makes me yearn for a different company to do business with. That's the part where I call up AT&T Customer Rentention to make a deal for the next 12 months, and the representative quotes me a price, I agree to the price, and then I receive a bill for a higher price. It happens every time, without fail -- classic "bait and switch." Then I have to call again and fight with them. Sometimes I have complained to the FCC. I recommend that, by the way -- a complaint to the FCC causes the internet provider to suddenly become very eager to please you.

 

[RKB_Kirin]

Yes, that was helpful.

That was wonderful.

It was a great segment, and people really believe it helped to stop the cable company lobbyists from getting their tiered Internet law passed.

 

[AlwaysHungry]

And behold, on the day the AT&T technician was to arrive to install a new modem, he didn't show up! And the customer service people told me that their records show an entirely different day and time! And then the next day, I get a statement with an entirely different plan and monthly fee! So I call and ask to speak to a supervisor, and they take my number and tell me he'll return my call! That was Wednesday morning! With fear in my heart, I'm switching to Charter.

 

[Privates1stClass]

And behold, on the day the AT&T technician was to arrive to install a new modem, he didn't show up! And the customer service people told me that their records show an entirely different day and time! And then the next day, I get a statement with an entirely different plan and monthly fee! So I call and ask to speak to a supervisor, and they take my number and tell me he'll return my call! That was Wednesday morning!

That's AT&T for you. I've had similar problems. Seems the only way to get better service is to move to Korea (South, not the North). They have faster speeds and lower rates. Perhaps they don't have lobbyists.

 

[Edward Teach]

I am paying $80 per month for 1gig down and 30 mbps up, including modem, for fiber optic dsl from my local independent phone company (actually getting 967mbps). I was paying TW $65/mo, not including modem, for what was advertised as 50mbps down (actually got low 30mbps).

So, for an additional $15/month, I am now getting over 30 times the speed.

TW is a rip off.

Eddie the Wiser

 

[AlwaysHungry]

I am paying $80 per month for 1gig down and 30 mbps up, including modem, for fiber optic dsl from my local independent phone company (actually getting 967mbps).

I find that I can stream video with no difficulty at 24 Mbps. Is there a big advantage to having a lot more? Gaming? Multiple family members online?

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Is it now accepted practice to charge upwards of $60/mo. for broadband? Is there some kind of monopolistic, behind-the-scenes agreement among ISPs to limit competition?

Yes, and don't expect it to get any better.

I pay close to $60 for 12Mb and that's with the Lifeline credit applied.

 

[TexasFarmBoy]

I read this forum and feel that most of you are lucky. I live in the country and the only options are Dial-Up and Satellite Internet. Satellite costs more and they all have a data cap. The speed is in the 20MBPS range until you exceed their cap when it drops to almost crawling (measured KBPS).